Tiltable traction wheel for feeding strip to rolling mills



March 24, 1953 D. E. RICE 2,632,641

TRACTION WH TILTABLE EEL. FOR FEEDING STRIP TO ROLLING MILLS Filed March 9, 1950 2 SHEETS-SEE? l DO/VQLfi E. E/CE,

March 24 1953 D. E. RICE 2 2 TILTABLE TRACTION WHEEL. FOR FEEDING STRIP TO ROLLING MILLS Filed March 9, 1950 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 F IE. 2.

ll IIIIIIIIA w. 'IIIIIIJ Patented Mar. 24, 1953 TILTABLE TRACTION WHEEL FOR FEEDING STRIP T ROLLING MILLS Donald E. Rice, Antioch, Calif., assignor to United States Steel Corporation, a corporation of New Jersey Application March 9, 1950, Serial No. 148,529

8 Claims. 1 V This invention relates to a rolling-mill accessory and, in particular, to a device for feeding the end of a coil of strip from an uncoiler toward the first stand of a continuous cold-rolling mill. In the reduction of hot-rolled steel strip to finished gauge by cold-rolling, the pickled strip .is delivered to a multistand continuous mill in coils. The end of each coil must be individually started into and threaded through the mill. This consumes a certain amount of time which is unproductive so far as actual output from the mill is concerned. The end of the coil has commonly been fed manually for starting it through the first stand although it is an awkward and cumbersome thing to handle.

In an effort to overcome this disadvantage, a stand of driven pinch rolls has in some cases been installed between the usual uncoiler and the first stand of the mill to feed the strip from the former to the latter. This was an improvement over manual feeding but experience has shown that pinch rolls are not themselves entirely trouble free. In the first place, the pinch roll housings take up considerable floor space adjacent the entry end of the mill and require that the end of the coil be manipulated for entry between the pinch rolls entirely from the front thereof. This handling of the coil end is less difficult only in degree than that involved in feeding the coil end to the mill entirely by edge of the strip than adjacent the other causing skewing and thereby feeding the strip toward the mill on an angle to its center line.

I have invented an improved apparatus for feeding the end of a coil to the first stand of a continuous mill, which overcomes the aforementioned objections and is characterized by several novel features and further advantages. Generally speaking, the invention comprises a traction wheel mounted on a tilting cantilever shaft for cooperation with a supporting roll extending across the path of the strip from the coil to the mill. The shaft is supportedat one side of the strip path and is adapted to'reach about halfway across it. I provide power means for tilting the shaft and other means for driving it. The supporting roll is fitted with guide collars and means for adjusting them toward and from each other.

A complete understanding of the invention may be obtainedfrom the following detailed description and explanation which refer to the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment. In the drawings,

' Figurel is a view partly inside elevationland partly in section showing the relation of the improved feeding apparatus to the uncoilers and the mill;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the feeding apparatus itself;

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken along the plane of line III--III of Figure 2, showing parts in elevation;

I Figure 4 is a horizontal section taken along the plane of line IVIV of Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is an elevation of the end of the apparatus opposite that shown in Figure 1.

Referring now in detail to the drawings and for the moment to Figure l, the improved feeding apparatus as there illustrated is applied to a continuous mill, the first stand of which is designated at It. The feeding apparatus itself is indicated generally at I I. It is mounted on a pair of spaced parallel rails I2 connected by a transverse boxsection girder I3 and serves to feed toward the mill the end of a coil disposed in one of two uncoilers HI and I5.

Referring now more particularly to Figures 2 through 5, a supporting roll I6 comprising a barrel I6 and end discs I6 is journaled on a shaft I1 extending between rails I2. Guide collars [8 are splined on the roll I6 for engagement with the edges. of the strip to confine it to a predetermined path in traveling from the uncoiler toward the mill, as indicated at [9 in Figure 2. The collars I8 are adjusted by means of shifters 26 adapted to'travel along a screw shaft 2| journaled in the rails I2 and in lugs 22 extending from one side wall of the girder l3. The shifters have nuts 23 therein threaded on the shaft and laterally projecting fingers 24' fitting in circumferential grooves 25 in the outer sides of the collars. A handwheel 26 on the screw shaft facilitates manual rotation of the latter for adjustment of the collars to suit the width of the strip being rolled.

A bracket 21 secured to the top of the girder I3 at one end thereof has spaced bearing hubs 28 disposed on a common axis parallel to the path of the strip. A rock shaft 29 journaled in these hubs has a crank arm 30 keyed thereto and extending laterally therefrom. A fluid-pressure cylinder Si is pivotally mounted on "spaced lugs 32 extending downwardly from the hubs 28 and has a piston rod 33 pivoted to the arm 30.

The end of shaft 29 nearer the uncoilers has a head 34 thereon with a bore therethrough parallelto the roll I6. A tubular'arm 35 extends through this bore and has a shaft 36 journaled in bearings 31 seated in-"the ends thereof. As shown, the shaft reaches about the center of thestrip path. A traction wheel 38 is secured to the inner end of the shaft and is provided with a surface layer or tire of friction material 39, e. g., brake lining. The wheel 38 is adapted, when the arm 35 is in the position shown in solid lines in Figure 3, to cooperate with roll I6 for thepurpose of feeding strip toward the mill. A motor 40 having built-in reduction gearing is mounted on a bracket 4| carried by the head 3 3 and drives the shaft 36 through a suitable beltand-pulley drive 42 as clearly shown in Figures 3 and 5.

The arm 35 is normally tilted upwardly to the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 3' by controlling the supply of motive fluid to the cylinder 3|. The traction wheel is thus held out of the way during the actual rolling operation, being lowered only during the starting-and threading of the coil through the mill. The operationof'cylinder- 31 iscontrolled by a. suitable valve and the motor as by a switch under the control of the operator whereby tractive efiort maybe applied to the strip in either direction or released altogether as desired.

In operation, thecoil end is placed on the supporting roll .16 while the arm 35 is up-tilted. The arm is then tilted down by the cylinder 3| until thetractionroll exerts. appropriate pressure. on the strip. The motor. 4;] is then started to advance the strip along its path toward the mill.

When properly entered therein, the. arm 35 is again tilted upduring. completion of the threading of the strip through the mill and the actual running of the coil therethrough. While one coil is running, the succeeding coil is placed on its uncoiler and the outer end thereof laid on top of, the strip unwinding from the running coil.

v The arm 35 is then tilted downward so as to exer-tonly sufficient pressure on the end of the second coil to hold it while permitting the strip from the running coil to continue paying out. The second coil can thus be started almost immediately after the inner end of the running coil has entercdthe mill. In case the leading coil end should be improperly started in the mill it can. be backed out by reversing the motor 40,.

It will; be apparent that the invention possesses amarked advantage over both manual handling of the coil end during starting and the pinch rolls formerly employed. In the first place, the

fact that the traction rollis movable to an out of-the-way position when not actually in opera.- tion permits the coil end to be placedon the supporting roll Iii from one side. This clearly facilitates the starting operation as compared to the threading of thecoil end between a pair of pinch rolls. In addition, the traction roll exerts its force exactly at .the center of the strip. This minimizes the possibility of feeding the strip on a skew instead of precisely along the center line of the mill. In case of failure of the powerfeeding mechanism, furthermore, the traction roll being out of the way permits manual feeding of the coilend during the emergency. Finally, the tiltable mounting-of the traction wheel permits the. placement of asecond coil while a previously started coil is running through the mill. This reduces the over-all timerequired. between the finishing of. one coiland the startin'g of the next one.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for feeding the end of a coil of strip-along a predetermined path comprising roll journaled transversely of said path for supporting the strip, an arm pivoted adjacent the path:on an axis parallel thereto, ash-aft'rjour- 4 naled in said arm and extending part way across the path, a traction wheel on said shaft adapted to cooperate with said roll, and means for tilting said arm to lower the wheel toward the roll or raise it therefrom.

2. The apparatus defined by claim 1 characterized by a rock shaft on which said arm is mounted and a crank arm on said rock shaft, said tilting means being connected to said crank arm.

3. The apparatus defined by claim 1 characterized by said means including a fluid-pressure cylinder and piston and a member actuated thereby effective to tilt said arm through a predetermined angle.

4. The apparatus defined by claim 1 characterized by a motor mounted on said arm having driving connection with said shaft.

5. Apparatus for feeding the end of a coil of strip along a predetermined path comprising a pair of spacedparallel rails one on each side of said path, a strip-supporting roll journaled in said rails transversely thereof, a bearing bracket secured to one of said rails, a rock shaft journaled. in said bracket parallel to said rails, an arm mounted on said rock shaft extending part way across said path above said roll, a shaft journaled in said arm, a wheel mounted on said last-mentioned shaft for cooperation with said roll andv means. for oscillating the rock shaft to tilt said arm.

6. Apparatus for feeding the end of a coil of strip along a predetermined path comprising a roll journaled transversely of said path for sup porting the strip, a rock shaft parallel to said path journaled adjacent one side thereof, an

arm mounted on said rock shaft extending part way across said path above said roll, .a shaft journaled. in said arm, a wheel mounted on said last-mentioned shaft for cooperation with said roll and means for oscillating the rock shaft to tilt said arm.

'7. The apparatus defined by claim 6 characterized by a crank arm on said. rock shaft and a fluid-pressure cylinder and pistonpivoted to said crank arm.

8.,Apparatus for feeding the end of a. coil of strip along a predetermined path. comprising a rolljournaled transversely of said path for sup port-ing the strip, a rock shaft parallel. to said path ,journaledadjacent one sidethereof, a second shaft rotatably mounted on said first-mentioned shaft and extending normal thereto part way across said-path above said roll, a wheel mounted on said second shaft for cooperation with said roll and means for oscillating the rock shaft to tilt the second shaft and thereby raise said wheel from said roll or lower it thereon.

DONALD E'. RICE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date (542,141 Lyon Jan. 30, 1900 1,566,441 smothers Dec. 22, 1925 1,700,099 Shively Jan. 22, 1929 2,069,318 Lloyd-ct a1 Feb. 2, 1937 2,071,076 La Borde et a1 Feb. 16, 1937 2,118,347- I-Iardenberg May 24, 1038 2,170,578 Sperry Aug. 22, 1939 2,409,770 Lorig et a1 Oct. 22, 1946 2,435,298 Van Leuven Feb.:3, 1948 

